Mort de Malek-Adhel / Dood van Malek-Adhel 1833 - 1856

Glenisson and Van Genechten produced this print of "Mort de Malek-Adhel" employing etching and hand-colouring techniques. It stages a scene of love and death amidst the Crusades, a popular subject during the 19th century. The image creates meaning through a combination of visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. The work's depiction of the exotic orient, juxtaposed with European Christian figures, speaks to the orientalist fantasies prevalent in 19th-century Europe, where the East was often romanticized and simultaneously viewed with suspicion. It also alludes to the religious and cultural clashes inherent in the historical Crusades. Institutions such as museums and schools played a significant role in shaping the understanding of these historical narratives. To fully appreciate the social and institutional context of this print, one might turn to historical archives, literature, and studies on orientalism and the Crusades. Such resources would offer insight into the attitudes, beliefs, and power dynamics that shaped the production and reception of works like this.